The European Azerbaijan Center in Germany has issued a statement regarding the groundless and biased opinions expressed by New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani on the X platform. The Mayor's remarks concerned the so-called 1915 Armenian genocide, as well as Azerbaijan’s efforts to restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty between 2020 and 2023.
Zaur Aliyev, Chairman of the European Azerbaijan Center and a board member of the Alliance of Azerbaijanis in Germany said that the statement characterizes Mamdani’s remarks not only as an example of political bias but also as a gross distortion of the fundamental principles of international law. The center emphasized that the sovereign equality of states, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, and the non-recognition of illegal situations created through occupation are the main pillars of the modern international legal system.
The statement noted that presenting Azerbaijan’s restoration of its constitutional order and sovereignty within its internationally recognized territories as an "attack," "expulsion," or "genocidal campaign" is a sign of legal illiteracy and political manipulation. It reaffirmed that in 2020 and 2023, the Azerbaijani state acted exclusively within its own sovereign territory in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Furthermore, the statement highlighted that the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region were offered reintegration and equal rights, with no recorded facts of ethnically based violence against civilians. The center reminded the Mayor of the Khojaly tragedy, the mass displacement of Azerbaijanis due to Armenian occupation, and the widespread destruction in the region, noting that a selective approach to these facts is unacceptable. The European Azerbaijan Center warned that such rhetoric negatively impacts the regional peace process and fuels revanchist tendencies, demanding that the statement be withdrawn.
"The European Azerbaijan Center states that the statement of Zohran Kwame Mamdani contains claims contrary to international law and is politically dangerous, diplomatically irresponsible and morally unjust. We demand the immediate withdrawal of this statement, an apology for the unfounded accusations made against the Azerbaijani people, and that future positions on such matters be based on the Charter of the United Nations, United Nations Security Council resolutions, the general principles of international law and historical facts. Lasting peace in the South Caucasus is possible only on the basis of respect for the sovereignty of states, territorial integrity, the inviolability of borders, good-faith compliance with international obligations and reconciliation between peoples. Any statement that distorts these principles serves confrontation, not peace,” stated the declaration of the European Azerbaijan Center.
